Quasi-spherical metrics and applications (Q1771552)

Let \(\Sigma_0\) be a compact strictly convex surface in \(\mathbb{R}^3\), so that the exterior of \(\Sigma_0\) is foliated by the level surfaces \(\Sigma_r\) of the distance function from \(\Sigma_0\). A quasi-spherical metric is a metric on \(\Sigma_0\times \mathbb{R}_+\) expressed as \(u^2dr^2+ g_r\), \(g_r\) being the metric induced on \(\Sigma_r\) by the Euclidean metric on \(\mathbb{R}^3\) and \(u\) a solution of the system: \[ H_0{\partial u\over\partial r}= u^2\Delta_r u+ (u- u^3)K,\quad u(x,0)= u_0(x), \] where \(H_0\), \(K\) are the mean curvature and the Gaussian curvature of \(\Sigma_r\), respectively, \(\Delta_r\) is the Laplacian operator on \(\Sigma_r\) and \(u_0= u_0(x)\) is a strictly positive smooth function on \(\Sigma_0\). Quasi-spherical metrics have been introduced and studied by \textit{R. Bartnik} [(*) J. Differ. Geom. 37, No. 1, 31--71 (1993; Zbl 0786.53019)]. The technique developed in (*) is applied to state the main result of this paper, which is the following one. Theorem A. Let \((\Omega^3, g)\) be a three-dimensional compact manifold with nonnegative scalar curvature and smooth boundary \(\partial\Omega\) having finitely many components \(\Sigma_i\). Assume that each \(\Sigma_i\) has nonnegative Gauss curvature and positive mean curvature \(H\) with respect to the unit outward normal. Denote by \(d\sigma\) the volume form on \(\Sigma_i\) induced from \(g\) and by \(H^{(i)}_0\) the mean curvature of \(\Sigma_i\) with respect to the outward normal, when it is isometrically embedded in \(\mathbb{R}^3\). Then, one has: \[ \int_{\Sigma_i} Hd\sigma\leq \int_{\Sigma_i} H^{(i)}_0\, d\sigma. \] Furthermore, if the equality holds for some \(\Sigma_i\), then \(\partial\Omega\) has only one component and the scalar curvature of \(\Omega\) vanishes. We recall that if \(\Sigma_0\) is the sphere the Schwarzschild 3-metric is the solution of the considered system with the black hole boundary condition \(u^{-1}_0= 0\) The authors study the regularity of quasi-spherical metrics near \(r= 0\), only assuming that \(\Sigma_0\) is a compact strictly convex surface in \(\mathbb{R}^3\). In particular, the curvature of a quasi-spherical metric is bounded near \(r= 0\). Finally, the authors consider a spin compact manifold \((\Omega^n, g)\), \(n\geq 4\), with nonnegative scalar curvature, such that \(\partial\Omega\) is embedded in \((\mathbb{R}^n)^*/\Gamma\), \(\Gamma\) being a finite subgroup of \(\text{SO}(n)\) which acts freely on \((\mathbb{R}^n)^*\). Under suitable conditions, results similar to those stated in Theorem A are still valid. This allows to discuss the nonexistence of certain Riemannian metrics on \(\Omega^n\).